Re: Leadville Designs Baggage/Express 1 in C&Sn3

Posted by Geoff Hamway on Oct 08, 2023; 11:32pm
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Leadville-Designs-Baggage-Express-1-in-C-Sn3-tp19129p19150.html

Dave,

I guess that was my cue to chime in on the B&S box cars kits.  As Jim said, I've built a half dozen of the Sn3 kits, and they build up into nice models without too much effort.  The S & O scale kits are 10 years old now, so one would hope that some of the design glitches in the older kits have been corrected in the new HOn3 models.  Still, I can make a few general suggestions to add to Jim's:

Unlike many of Bill's newer kits, the B&S box cars included beautiful plans by Bob Stears -- if good plans aren't in the HOn3 kit, be sure to get some, because you'll need them.  Also, the older kits included some self-adhesive parts (outer roof, fascia, etc.) that caused me considerable heartburn.  They seem to adhere properly, until AFTER you've painted, lettered, weathered, etc., and THEN they can start to lift up.  I quickly learned to replace these parts entirely or scrape the self-adhesive film off and glue them normally.

The kits (including the new HOn3 ones, I believe) include a detailed interior and roof structure.  Plan ahead to add sufficient weight where you won't see it, and be VERY careful when you install the lateral carlines -- these can very easily make the side walls bulge out of alignment and you may not notice until you've glued the roof on.

The older kits included brass etchings for the distinctive B&S step/grabs on the B end.  These weren't accurately designed and only Spiderman could have gotten up to the brakewheel using them.  Hopefully the HOn3 ones match the prototype better, but I felt obliged to build new Sn3 ones from styrene (although they're small enough that I might not bother in HOn3).

One final general tip.  I prime the exterior plywood pieces with a rattle can primer or even Dullcote before assembly.  I airbrush later with acrylic paints, and I've had occasional problems with them raising horizontal grain swirls on the plywood.  Very unprototypical looking, and a pain in the butt to cover up.  

I hope you'll post your experiences with the new HOn3 kits.  Good luck with them,

Geoff Hamway